Apparatus for cleaning deep wells.



G. W. DEATS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANlNG DEEP WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 1916.

1 ,235,2% Patented July 31, 1917.

s'rA'rEs GEORGE W. DEATS, 015 FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented July 31, 1917.

Original application filed May 29, 1916, Serial No. 100,556. Divided and this application filed November 14,

- 1916. Serial No. 131,240.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Dns'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Deep Wells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to. apparatus for cleaning deep wells and more particularly to apparatus for breaking up and cleaning ,out matter which has become caked or set at the lower end of deep well pumping apparatus, such as mud, paraflin, and other substances. In oil wells, paraflin becomes caked about the bottom of the pumping apparatus and renders the oil wells useless. One of .theobjects of this invention is to provide apparatus or means for breaking up the caked paraiiin and other substances and removing the same from the well and also to break up and clean out the parafiin and other matter which forms in the pipes and between the walls of the pipes. Advantage is taken of the property of parafin which makes it easily melted. Hot steam is used to melt or break up the caked paraffin so it can be forced out of the well.

team and compressed air also are used by the same apparatus for breaking and removing mud and sand and gravel which has become settled about the bottom of the pipes and also to blow the strata between different wells.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cleaning and pumping apparatus. Fig. 2 is a VGItl-j cal section of a part of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

A casing 1 of ordinary construction is shown with an open lower end provided with perforations extending some distance from the end. This application is a division of my application, filed May 29, 1916, Ser. No. 100,556. A pump line pipe is centrally positioned in the casin 1 and extended downwithin casing 1. The pipe 3 is adapted to be moved vertically within Easing 1, the object being to make provision for letting the pipe 3 down gradually when there is something to be melted and broken up to be cleaned out of the well. This pipe 3 is adapted to be used both as a pump line and as a cleaning pipe for forcing a fluid down to melt parafiin and to clean out mud and sand. Air, water, or steam is forced down the pipe 3 and this operation will force the sand, mud, or other material upwardly between the pipe 1 and the pipe 3. When the pipe 3 is being let down gradu-. ally for the purpose of breakin up settled matter within casing 1 and per forations in the lower end thereof, air, water, or steam is forced down the pipe 3 and will break the substance to be removed, loosening the substance within casing 1 and the perforations thereof and loosening the materlal outside of casing 1 so that as the pipe 3 passes on down, the material on the outside'of the casing 1 to be removed will pass through the perforations above the end of pipe 3 and thus be carried on out of casing 1 which is opened at the upper end for the outward passage of all matter to be removed from within and without the casing 1.

In case of oil wells wherein paraifin or asphalt has become caked in and about the bottom of casing 1, hot steam is forced down the pipe 3 to cut away the paraifin, asphalt, or other substance so that such substance can be forced up the casing and out of the well. The pipe 3 is let down graduallyvfor this purpose. The steam pressure escapinglfrom the bottom of the ipe 3 will loosen t e paraffin and the para n will rise to the top of the well by water the water to be forced out of which will be forced down pipe 3. A plug or cap 4 may he used to close the casing 1 for confining the heat of the steam within the casing while the paraffin or other substance is being loosened. Chemicals may be used with the steam for purposes above set forth, or chemicals may beused without the steam.

of pipe 3,steam, normal or superheated, is

run down the pipe 7 to heat the pipe 3.

This will melt the paraflin inside and out valves and on the inside of pipe 3.

pipe 8 may be fitted with a smooth nozzle ESE-.1

side of the pipe 3 and the paraffin will be pumped out through pipe 3. Thus the pipe?) can be cleaned out without removing it from the casing 1 because the oil and water about the bottom of the pipe 3 will be heated and will rise in the pipe 3 so that they can be pumped out of the well. Heating the outside of pipe 3 with hot steam will cause any paraffin that may be clinging to the inside of pipe 3 to melt so that it can be removed or pumped out.

Provision is also made for introducing hot steam or other cleansing element down within pipe 3 to the lower end thereof. A pipe 8- is run down within the pipe 3 When this pipe is being used as a pump barrel, the pipe 8 being led down by the side of the pump rod 9. Hot steam or other cleansing fluid is forced down the pipe 8 to remove any parafin or other matter that may be accumulated about the pump rod and The 10 to prevent injury of the pump rod or piston mechanism while being placed in or removed from the pipe 3 and also to give greater force to the steam that is put into pipe 3. in case there should be abnormal heat in the oil well suflicient to cause crystallization of hydrocarbon elements into carbon, it is apparent that cold air can be forced down in the well to regulate the heat and any of the pipes above described can be utilized for this purpose. It is also apparent that the pipe '1' may be utilized to force air down in the well to serve as an air lift to cooperate with the pipe 8 when this pipe is used as a pumping or working barrel.

What I claim, is,

1. In an apparatus for cleaning wells, the combination with a line casing having per.- forations in the side thereof near the lower endf't'thereof, a combined cleaning pipe and pumping barrel extending down centrally in said casing and vertically movable therein, and a pipe extending down within said combined cleaning pipe and pumping barrel for forcing a temperature controlling element down within the pumping barrel.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning wells, the combination with a line casing having perforations in the side of the lower end thereof, a combinedcleaning pipe and working barrel extending centrally down in said casing and vertically movable therein, a pipe for forcing hot cleaning elements down with in said cleaning pipe and working barrel and vertically movable therein and a pipe extending down within said casing and outside of said cleaning pipe for cooperating with the pipe within said cleaning pipe and working barrel.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning wells, the combination with a line casing, a combined cleaning pipe and working barrel extending down within said casing and vertically movable therein, a pipe for forcing a temperature controlling element down within said cleaning pipe and working barrel and movable vertically therein, and a pipe extending down within said casing outside of said cleaning pipe and working barrel and adaptable at will for forcing a temperature controlling element down within said casing and outside of said cleaning pipe and working barrel for cooperating with the pipe within said cleaning pipe and work ing barrel or for forcing air down within said casing for cooperating with said cleaning pipe and working barrel when the latter is used as a working barrel or pumping barrel.

4. in an apparatus for cleaning wells, the combination with a line casing, a pipe extending down within said casing and vertically movable therein and adapted for a cleaning pipe or a pumping barrel at will, a pipe within said pipe, and a pipe without said first mentioned pipe and within said casing for forcing controlling fluids down in said casing for cooperating with said first and second mentioned pipes.

in testimony whereof, I set my hand, this 10th day of November, 1916. I

GEURGE W. BEATS. 

